Circuit interrupter



oa. 16,1928. Y 1,687,642 l c. AAgBoRG Y CIRCUIT INTERRUPTER Filed Feb. 26, 1921 7 ATTORNEY Patented oct. 16, i928.

, UNITDSTATES PA'rENToFFlc-E..

, 'CHRISTIAN manne, or rrrrsnunsn, 'rENNsYLvANm, AssIGNon ro Waerme'- -nousn ELECTRIC a MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A ConroaArIoN or rma- Nen- VANI-A.

` CIRCUIT y.INTEmsmrrim Application filed-February 26, 1921. Serial No. 448,272. 'I

invention relates to circuit interrupters and l,particularly to contact members emplo ed in connection therewith.

ne of the objects of my invention is the provision of a contact member of such form.

that it may be .acted upon by the magnetic forces set up by the passage of current therethrough to bemore firmly'biased into contacting4 engagement with a co-operating contact member.

Another object of my invention is to provide, in connection with a bridging member and a pair of stationarycontact members, a pair of contact members so arranged as to utilize the magnetic forces set up by the pas- 'sage pf current throughy the respective lpairs of such cont/act members in such manner that the contact members oi each pair will be biased toward ntheir closed position, as opposed to the repellent magnetic forces present in the zone between the stationary Contact members'.

Still another object of the invention is the arrangement of laminations in a bridging membei" in such position that the opposing magnetic forces thatare set up by the passage of current through the conductorswill act against the edges of such laminations 1nstead of againstv the sides-thereof.

-Circuit breakersFfor unusually high voltages and large currents are usually constructed iny such manner that the path of current therethrough is of substantially U-shape, and the magnetic forces set up in that portion of the circuit between t-he legs of the U exercise a repellent force, which tends to distort the switch parts and break the circuit.

Furthermore, in bridging members that are formed of laminations, the laminations are usually arranged latwise and have their ends upturned to make engagement with the co-operating contact members. Such arrangement results in a tendency of a laminated bridging member to become distorted by the repellent forces above referred to.

I accomplish the foregoing by constructing the bridging member of laminations arranged I' in edgewise relation with respect to the engaging surfaces of the stationary contactI members and by dividing the 'laminations into angularly disposed groups adjacent their points of engagement with the stationary contact members.

vcured to the conductor 4 by As shown in the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a view, in` endelevation` of a portion of a circuit interrupter with my invention applied thereto, and v Fig. 2 1s a similar view, in side elevation.

The circuit breaker consistsof a pair of operating rods 3, a pair ofconductorsi (only one of which is shown), and a bridging member 5. A stationary contact member 6 is se- The bolts 8 also serve to secur yielding supporting members 9 to the stationary contact members. A. p air of arcing tips 10 are carried by the' supporting members 9, while flexible shunt members 11 serve to conduct the current from the arcingtips 1() to the stationary contact member 6.

Brushes 12 and 13, comprising a plurality of laminae having their broadest faces in 'uxtapositi'on and of substantially U-shape aving oppositely Haring ends, are secured to the bridging-member 5 by means of bolts 14, being clamped between the castings 15 and 16. These brushes are adapted to engage the stationary Contact members 6 with a resilient but firm contact by each individual lamination by reason of the flaringshape of the end portions to complete the circuit.

A pair of movable arcing tips 17 are secured to the bridging member 5 by means of bolts olts 7 and 8. f l

18 and are adapted to co-oprate with the stationary arcing tips 10 to protect the brushes 12 and 13 against arcing, 1n the manner common to devices of this character.

The stationary arcing tips 1 0- are yieldingly l,

supported so that they may maintain engagement with the movable arcing tips 17 until after the bridging member has been moved to open position .suiiciently 'far to eliminate danger of arcing between the brushes and the stationary Contact member.

It willy-be understood that Fi 2 shows but substantially one-half of a circuit breaker, the operating, rods 3' being mounted midway between two sets of Contact members, such as those hereinbeore described.- f

When the brushes 12 and 13 are angularly disposed, as. shown, the magnetic force set up by the passage of current throu h the conduc- `tor .4 and the Contact members, ecause of the" ,thereby msgs biuhesieand 13, te madamly` engage the adjacent stationary'contact member-6. Since the plane defined by the ofthe flexing portions of the lamin com rising the brushes 12 and 13 are sbstan- 'ed g equal'. vAccordi ly they are under equal internal this manner, I neuf 1 tralize the repellent tendency of the magnetic forces that are set up in the zone between the two legs ofthe circuit breaker.

.. Y'The edgewise arrangement of the lamina- `fore emplo ed. y

The bru members 'need not necessarily be carried on the movable contact, or bridging,

ary contact'mem r. It will further beunderstood vtht'I 'do not'limit myself to a laminated `uHper ends of the castings 15and 16 is para el to the face of the contact member 6`, the.

" tions adds to the strengthof `the device, asI compared to the fiatwise arrangement heretoi member but ma bemounted on the stationnstruction, butl that other forms contact members may be em#l urthermore, the angularly-dis-- of the invention as defined in the accompanyclaims. 4claim as my invention 1.' (The comblnation with a contact member, of a relativel movable brushv member comprising a plura ty of lamin arranged in gewise relation tolthe face of the contact member and clamping means for thelaminee' disposed 'at a distance from the ends of the lamin, the portions 'of the lamin beyond the clam ing mean'sbeing divided into oppositely ared groups whereb the lengths of theiiexible portions of thein ividual lamin lare substantially e ual.

2. The combination with a contact member, of a relatively movable brush member'comprising a plurality of la'min arranged, in edgewise relation .pto 4the face of the contact member and clamping means for the lamin disposed at a distance fromtheends of the laminas', -the portions of the Vlaminas beyond v the clam ing inea being' divided intdoppositely ared grou s whereby' the lengths of the ilexibleportions of the. lamin inherently exert substantially'the same pressureupon the contact. member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my 1921.

CHRISTIANMLBQRG.

name this 17thvv day of February 

